Conventional vehicle lights can have a resin molding which includes a housing formed from a light-absorbing resin such as acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) and a lens that is formed from a light-transmitting resin such as a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or a polycarbonate and is welded to the housing.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-294013 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,239) proposes a laser welding method. In this method, a lens is pressed against a lamp body (housing) together and then the entire circumference of the lens is scanned with a laser beam using a robot with a laser beam to be incident on the lens, thereby heating and fusing the surface of the lamp body as well as fusing the ends of the seal support legs of the lens by means of the fusing heat of the lamp body.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-243811 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,374) proposes a vehicle light wherein a front lens and a lamp body are directly bonded by means of laser welding. In this vehicle light, seal support legs which extend in the bonding direction are formed on the outer peripheral edge of the surface of the front lens while an abutment surface that makes contact with the end surface of the seal support legs is formed on the lamp body. A laser light receiving surface that guides a laser beam being incident from a direction diagonal to the bonding direction is formed protruding on the outer surface of the seal support legs. The laser light receiving surface is also formed as a flat surface slanting towards the bonding direction at the ends of the seal support legs such that the ends of the seal support legs are curved towards the outside extending in the bonding direction.
However, a method of welding a resin molding using a laser beam has not been fully developed as of yet.
A method for manufacturing a resin molding that uses a laser beam, has a high level of adhesion, an excellent appearance, and includes very strong welded portions is still highly demanded.